Oligosaccharides are commonly prepared by the controlled hydrolytic cleavage of starches. In the production of such oligosaccharides, the glycosidic linkages of the starch molecules are partially hydrolyzed to yield at least one oligosaccharide species, and more typically, a mixture of oligosaccharides species. Oligosaccharide mixtures so prepared typically include at least one malto-oligosaccharide species. Malto-oligosaccharides are characterized as having a saccharide backbone that comprises predominantly 1–4 glycoside linkages.
Malto-oligosaccharides comprise a commercially important class of carbohydrates that fall within the general class of reducing carbohydrates, which are carbohydrates that include an acetal group that is in equilibrium with its respective aldehyde or ketone. Such malto-oligosaccharides find numerous commercial applications. Derivatized malto-oligosaccharides also are known in the art. Such derivatized malto-oligosaccharides also have many commercial uses, including, for example, encapsulants, acidulants, flocculants, adhesives, antiredeposition agents, detergent builders, and so forth.
The prior art has provided numerous processes for the derivatization of malto-oligosaccharides. Known processes are conventional and typically comprise derivatizing the malto-oligosaccharide via a conventional derivatizing process to form a derivatized product. Such prior art processes suffer from a number of drawbacks, however. For example, when subjected to certain reaction conditions, such as alkaline conditions, malto-oligosaccharides can degrade and/or undergo numerous side reactions to form respectively undesired products of degradation or reaction by-products. Such by-products and products of degradation lead to poor reaction yields, undesired color formation, and difficulties in purifying the desired derivatized malto-oligosaccharides.
It is believed that the so-called “alkaline peeling reaction,” in which the reducing end sugar of a malto-oligosaccharide degrades into smaller molecules, contributes substantially to degradation and by-product formation in the derivatization of malto-oligosaccharides. In recognition of this alkaline peeling reaction, the prior art has taught in other contexts to convert a base saccharide to a glycoside, to thereby incorporate a protecting group. For example, it is known to incorporate a methyl protecting group at the reducing end of glucose to thereby form the alkaline-stable methyl glycoside. Another approach used in the prior art is the use of non-reducing sugars such as sucrose and trehalose as protecting groups. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,620 (Mandai et al.) purports to disclose non-reducing oligosaccharides wherein one or several glucosyl groups are bound to both glucosyl groups in trehalose. While the use of protecting groups such as sucrose or trehalose in connection with the preparation of a glycoside may afford an alkaline-stable product, the process of preparing such stabilized malto-oligosaccharides can be laborious and not economically attractive.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a method for derivatizing a malto-oligosaccharide. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, by-product formation and formation of products of degradation are mitigated as compared with products formed by known malto-oligosaccharide derivatization reactions. It is also a general object of the invention to provide a derivatized malto-oligosaccharide product.